The Israeli military’s recent destruction of approximately 3,000 olive trees in al-Mughayyir, a village near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, has intensified the continuous aggression faced by Palestinian farmers from illegal settlers.
This act, executed under the pretext that the trees posed a “security threat” to a nearby Israeli settlement road, is part of a broader pattern of land seizure and ethnic cleansing.
The village, home to about 4,000 residents, has been under lockdown since Thursday following an alleged shooting incident involving an Israeli settler.
The military’s actions, including storming over 30 homes and damaging property, have compounded the hardship faced by locals who rely heavily on agriculture for their livelihood.
The West Bank has witnessed a surge in Israeli settler and military aggression since the onset of Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), over 2,370 settler attacks against Palestinians were recorded from January to July 2024, with Ramallah facing the highest number at 585 incidents.
Additionally, at least 671 Palestinians, including 129 children, have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the same period.
The destruction of olive trees, a vital cultural and economic resource, exacerbates food and water insecurity, as noted by Palestinian researcher Hamza Zubeidat, who described these acts as part of Israel’s long-standing strategy to evict Palestinians from their lands.
Olive trees, a cornerstone of Palestinian identity and sustenance, take years to bear fruit, making their destruction a severe blow to communities like al-Mughayyir.
The village, known for its fertile lands, has seen its agricultural backbone targeted through tree uprooting, water source confiscation, and restricted access to farms.
These measures not only threaten livelihoods but also aim to erode Palestinian presence in the West Bank.
As settler attacks, often unchecked by Israeli authorities, continue to rise, the systematic dismantling of Palestinian agricultural heritage underscores a broader campaign of displacement and control.